For St. Valentine’s Day, A Good Sparkling Wine Need Not Be A Pricey Champagne
by John Mariani
Champagne long ago won the image battle for bragging rights about sparkling wine, but just in the last decade a number of countries have produced excellent bubblies that can vie with much more expensive Champagnes for St. Valentine’s Day. Here are several.
Argyle Brut Rosé ($50)—A lovely sparkling wine vintage from the cool Willamette Valley of Oregon is pristine, with fine body and lively bubbles. Argyle is one of a very few West Coast producers that makes an array of aged sparkling wines, including a 2008 Extended Tirage Brut and this 2014 Brut Rosé made with fully-fermented Pinot Noir, which gives it more body than a Blanc de Blancs and makes it suitable for drinking with veal, pork and chicken.